


A MUSE ON NEVERLAND

by pupno (VOICESS)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Neverland!AU, i'm so sorry hunter, magic boi, mark x reader-ish, nct fic, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23456710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VOICESS/pseuds/pupno
Summary: following the rules is just overrated. why not throw in a bit of magic?a request from @sexhuns !
Relationships: Mark Lee (NCT)/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	A MUSE ON NEVERLAND

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lowlay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lowlay/gifts).



Honestly, Mark thinks that the name Neverland is taken too lightly. The theatre kids stole it from his gang, and it’s totally unfair that every time someone thinks of Neverland, it instantly goes to the “Neverland productions” that takes place every spring and fall of the school year. 

In reality, his Neverland is so much more than just a play. He built up this world and his identity, along with his friends, ever since he had first been hit by his teacher back in second grade. Yes, that was borderline abusive. But, Mark’s not going to live in the past. Whatever stupid adult ends up in jail for child abuse isn’t going to bring him down. 

Back on that eventful day, Mark had been curious as to why the teacher wasn’t teaching them what the word gay meant. He’d clearly seen it, printed in bold black text as the teacher scrolled right along on the spelling list, not even sparing the word a second glance. He even knew how to spell it. G. A. Y. The seventh, first, and twenty-fifth letters of the alphabet! He had raised his hand, inquiring as to what it meant. But, as soon as the words had left his mouth, a harsh, stinging blow to the face followed. The teacher had looked furious, eyes stormy with distaste, and Mark had shrunk into himself, terrified and thoroughly scarred. He was never going to become that word, because it obviously meant something bad, something taboo that was not to be taught.

But oh, how fate messed with it all.

~ ✨~

Fast forward nine years. Mark goes through middle school as any normal teenager, constantly doubting his identity and place. He tries many different friend groups, one year being labeled as the basketball kid, and then the teacher’s pet. He mingles with almost every kid at his school, running for student council rep and surprising even himself when he wins.

All his friends tease him for his shy personality, poking and prodding him at the table when a pretty girl comes over and he looks away, too socially awkward to bring himself to meet her eyes. They ask him, “Hey, do you think she’s cute? When are you gonna date someone?”  
Mark is struck by this question. Date? Boyfriend? Those words don’t seem to fit him or his lifestyle. He’s never given the concept of relationships any thought, always worrying about the next assessment rather than whether he thinks some girl’s boobs are pretty. Which, by the way, they aren’t. What’s with all the fascination? Mark really doesn’t understand it. He’d much rather admire the abs that adorn those ripped guys from the soccer team… Wait, that’s not very straight. Fuck.

Realizing that he isn’t straight is still a work in progress. Sometimes, Mark just forgets that most people in the world aren’t like him, and often feels alone, or maybe even scared of his own sexuality. When Mark first figured it out, he certainly didn’t know how to cope with it. The teacher back from elementary school had almost engrained the words “gay is bad” into his head, and internalized homophobia was not an easy pill to swallow. But, along with his friends and the power of therapy, he’s been getting better. Sort of.

High school is a wild and vibrant time for Mark. He’s definitely sure of who he is and what he’s going to become, and along with all the support and acquaintances that he’s received through the years, he feels like his life is pretty good. But, that doesn’t mean that he’s without curiosities, worries, or any of the normal social anxieties that plague every kid of his age.

Mark spends a lot of his free time voicing his questions and concerns to his closest friends, a gang of seven that he slowly picked up through his many years at the local public school. They’re an interesting ragtag bunch, every single one of them from a different clique and with different interests. For example, Donghyuck is that choir kid, always belting out show tunes and chatting his butt off if he isn’t. On a stark opposite, Jeno almost never speaks up unless he needs to, occasionally offering thoughtful insights and questions, just like humanities kids do. 

It’s interesting how well they all mix with each other. You would think that a student council rep, soprano, english tutor, science geek, jock, dance team member, debater, and exchange student wouldn’t be able to stay in one room for more than an hour at most, but you would be mistaken. For some reason, the diversity in passions is what makes their group so intriguing, and there is always something new that not everyone knows to learn from one another. 

This is why Mark has always been able to express his every concern and thought to his friends. They don’t ever judge him, and they always give him the best advice, even when it’s about topics or feelings they’ve never experienced before. 

This is evidently a shock to them when one day, Mark comes to their weekly hangout with his hair ruffled and a flushed face, barrelling through the door and blubbering out, 

“Guys, help. I just met the cutest guy.” 

Chenle dolphin-screeches, while an evil glint starts brewing in Donghyuck’s eyes. 

“Mind telling us all about your new crush?” 

Mark stutters out and unintelligible response, face brightening and hiding his face in his pocket. Sometimes he really loves his gang, but other times he despises them for their exuberant amounts of energy and jokes. 

“I- I mean, he’s cute, like, uh, yeah, and, he has like, the prettiest shade of grey eyes, and like, I-” 

“Mark, take a breath. Deep breaths. You’re doing that ‘like’ thing again, don’t bring back sixth grade you.” 

Renjun chuckles, patting the other on the back and covering his mouth before Mark can further embarrass himself more than he already has before. 

Mark sheepishly nods, lips still blocked by the Chinese male’s hands. He lets out a muffled sentence before Renjun finally lets him go, reclining back until he falls into Jeno’s and Jaemin’s laps. Cute.

Not even waiting for Mark to open his mouth, Donghyuck instantly jumps onto the other, peppering him with a never ending stream of questions that Mark is surprised that he can even understand. 

“Slow down, sunshine. No one can understand you, least not myself.” 

Lucas slaps his knee with a loud guffaw, elbowing Chenle next to him with a joking look. 

“Never would I have thought I’d see the day when Mark worked up the courage to call Donghyuck sunshine. That’s some serious gay vibes you’re throwing off, Marcus.” 

Mark throws the other a scathing look, holding the bird up, then being struck by the weight of his predicament once more and curling into a little ball on the floor. Why is he even making such a big deal about his little gay crush? So what if he was so starstruck by this mystery boy that he had dropped his pen and let out an inhuman squeak when he first made eye contact? 

Okay, so maybe it isn’t such a little crush. But does that really matter? Mark isn’t one to nitpick the details, least of all when it’s concerning his own embarrassment. He would much rather concern himself with all the new prospects of meeting this new and cute boy, maybe even becoming his friend, or maybe something more-

“Oh god, Mark, you’re so gone.”

~ ✨~

Mark does have to agree, he is a bit gone. It’s totally not because he’s managed to get this stranger’s name, but also caught them in the middle of an… interesting predicament. 

It sounds weirder than it actually is. You see, Mark has never really had any reason to believe in magic, fantasy, or the paranormal. Renjun, being the debater that he is, has managed to convince everyone in his friend group at one point or another that there ARE such things as fairies, but Mark has never really put too much thought or belief into that. But, he’s going to have to change that belief really soon. Why? 

The cute guy has miniscule wings.  
What the hell?

Usually, you wouldn’t expect a human being to have wings, so either: this guy is a mutation but still manages to be human for the majority of the day, or he’s something else entirely. And, that idea seems too freaky for Mark to even start to comprehend. Never mind the fact that he’s alone in a changing room with a shirtless dude who might just be breaking his perception of reality in every sense. Not at all!

Mark tries not to sneak glances at the other’s bare chest because he’s not a perv like that, but it’s becoming harder and harder to do, especially when that delicious red is flushed across the other’s cheeks. Wait, what? No, he can’t think like that! Mark reprimands himself, coughing and awkwardly turning away, muttering a quick “sorry” and trying his best to blend in with the lockers.

The other boy actually giggles, and lord Mark swears he could listen to that sound for days. He’s a bit shorter than Mark, who is at a good height to rest his chin on the boy’s shoulder. His dual-colored hair is fascinating to watch, and Mark swears that he sparkles. Though, now that he’s seen more than he obviously should have, he’s not that surprised anymore.

“You’re… Mark, right?” 

Mark nods dumbly, surprised that the other manages to look that ethereal and speak like one of those ripped Greek gods. Almost tripping over himself, he tries to say something in response. 

“Uh, yeah. That’s me. And you are?”

“Hunter! I would have hoped to introduce myself in a more normal way, but seeing as the circumstances say otherwise, I hope this is okay.” The boy clutches his shirt to his stomach, averting his eyes and licking his lips nervously. 

“O-oh. Yeah, that’s a nice name! Uh, well, not to be frank, but, you know… wings. What’s up with that?” Mark gestures to the boy, tilting his head in confusion. The other widens his eyes, a silent ‘oh’ escaping his lips and sighing, running a hand through his hair and slumping. 

“Well, that was supposed to be a secret, but I don’t think there’s any use in trying to deny it.  
I’m actually a fairy. You know, those things from the stories you read as a kid? Yeah, we’re real, believe it or not. I was sent here to get a break from the hubbub of Neverland, because there’s been some drama going on that the council decided to kick me out for. I was supposed to keep my secret from all the people here, but I guess my plan has been foiled, haha. I’m supposed to keep these wings hidden throughout the day, but it’s really exhausting. Almost like it’s tickling 24/7, you know?” 

The tinkling laugh appears again, and this time Mark can’t help the smile that comes to his face as well. He replies as smartly as he can, but he’s pretty sure that he sounds like a five-year old to the other.

“Sorry for, like, walking in on you like that. It’s a bit late, but I promise, I can keep your secret!” He adds in a thumbs-up for good measure, though he’s not sure if it will actually help his case or not. 

Hunter tousles his hair and shrugs, looking surprisingly carefree for just being outed. 

“It’s okay! It’s been tiring to keep it hidden anyways, I’d rather let a charming guy know instead of some slut or something. Wait-” 

Hunter claps a hand over his mouth, eyes widening in panic. The blush on his cheeks becomes darker, and Mark suddenly gets an urge to press a kiss to one of them. His face is probably mirroring the same embarrassment, but Mark is too whipped to give a second thought to his appearance. He’s been admiring this guy for weeks, and now he’s calling him cute?! He must be so lucky!

“I- I think you’re charming too! Just, if that makes you feel any better.” Mark sputters, taking his chances and getting closer to Hunter. The other male doesn’t seem to mind, scooting over on the bench to make room for Mark. In fact, he seems a bit shocked, eyebrows raised up.

“It actually does. Thanks, Mark. No one has ever really reciprocated my feelings, so I’m, uh, just in a bit of shock-” He replies, and it’s honestly so sweet that Mark just has to coo. 

“I-it’s all good! It’s just, uh, I don’t really know what to do now. ‘Cause, you’re obviously not the same as I am, and I dunno how to really handle this, haha.” 

Mark wonders out loud, very confused himself now. What IS he supposed to do with all this new information? He certainly has never had to deal with a hot fairy dude before, though he guesses there’s a first time for everything. Hunter looks deep in contemplation, but nothing is said for a solid minute, causing an awkward silence to envelop the two boys.  
A little while afterwards, Hunter finally looks up. With a bit of twinkle in his eye, the teenager (Mark thinks? At this point, he can’t be sure of anything anymore) replies, “What if we don’t handle it?” 

Mark stares at him with a blank expression. “What?” 

~ ✨~

Renjun loses his shit when Mark unloads his new dilemma. For a while, all he hears is random key smashes voiced out loud (how is that even possible?!) and a lot of “I TOLD YOU SO”s. However, Renjun does actually calm down, and after collecting himself, he props up a foot, putting on his debater face and looking Mark in the eye.

“So, you’re really saying that you met a fairy, and now he’s asking us to become fairies too?” 

Mark nods his head for the umpteenth time. He’s convinced that his head is going to snap off from its hinges or whatever is holding it to his neck, but if he can persuade his friends to get onboard with this new idea, it will be worth it. And, Hunter can probably fix his neck with his magic powers or something, right? Probably. Yeah.

Renjun takes a few seconds to pretend and think about it, but his mind is clearly made up when he leans forward excitedly. 

“Hell yes! I’m so in, when do we start? This is some paranormal crap, and I love it.” 

Mark chuckles at the predictability of his friend, though he is sort of thankful that he at least has one person on his side. If Renjun agrees, then Jeno and Jaemin will probably come with him, and Chenle and Jisung are mostly chill with anything. That only leaves one person… Hyuck.

Mark tells Renjun while the other grins in anticipation, still caught in the clouds about actually finding out that his childhood dreams were true.

“To be honest, Mark, Hyuck probably doesn’t care. You always seem to think that he’s going to take the opposite side as you do, but he doesn’t do that, like, 90 percent of the time. Stop being so paranoid and just talk to him about it-” 

“Talk to me about what?” 

Mark is a bit ashamed to say that he let out a squeak when Donghyuck popped out of nowhere, still dressed in his choir rehearsal clothes with his usual smirk on his face.  
Quickly averting his eyes, Mark tries to look away and pretend he wasn’t talking about anything sketchy. 

“Uhhh, nothing really, jus-”  
“Mark has a fatass crush on a fairy and he wants us all to gain immortality.”

The living sunshine takes a few moments to process this. Mark waits in anticipation and fear for his childhood friend’s response, but he isn’t ready for the happy expression that follows. 

“You finally found someone? Good riddance, it took so long.” 

Mark scoffs, both in disbelief that Hyuck is taking this so lightly and also because he’s slightly offended that THIS is the comeback that he uses. For goodness sake, it’s almost like he’s a third grader or something.

“What do you mean, took so long? I-”  
“Don’t pretend you haven’t been procrastinating on this for years and years, Markiepoo.” 

Renjun cackles as Mark tries desperately to formulate a comeback, and even though Donghyuck may have hurt his ego, Mark is glad that he has nothing to worry about. 

~ ✨~

Exactly one and a half hours later (Mark was counting), Hunter meets Mark out by the school entrance. Mark has his whole friend group with him, each one of them trailing behind in anticipation but also a bit of weariness of this stranger who is supposedly a fairy. Their first meeting goes just about as smoothly as Mark had imagined, which is not at all. Hunter seems super chill meeting the rest of Mark’s friends, while Chenle and Jaemin spend way too long ogling his multicolor hair and giving Mark sideways glances that just scream “how’d you nail a guy like this?”

Clearing his throat, Mark tries to reign in his friends’ leashes, but his attempt is not a success. His friends are obviously long gone and don’t care what first impressions they make anymore, and the sheer otherworldliness of this whole situation has truly gone past all reaches of reason and reality. Mark is definitely going crazy, but he doesn’t care. Might as well go out with a bang, right?

“So, Hunter, it’s nice to finally meet you. Mark has told us so much about you. No wonder you always look so fresh, you never age~” 

Donghyuck’s simpering voice manages to freak out the poor fairy, even though it’s clear as day to Mark that he’s just joking. Hunter’s expression is one of intimidation and panic, and he quickly waves his hands, trying to both bow and apologize at the same time.

“O-oh, gosh, I hope they weren’t bad things? I’m sorry if I ever wronged you or anything-” 

Chenle lets out his high-pitched screech of laughter, shoving Donghyuck away before he can make the other boy any more uncomfortable. He does this weird cross of finger guns and a peace sign, trying to appear “cool” or whatnot.

“Don’t worry about Duckie. He’s a little shit, but you’ll get used to it. He means the best for both of you, and if Mark likes you, then we’re cool with you too.”

Hunter still looks a bit perturbed, but at least he doesn’t look like he’s about to bolt anymore. That’s bound to be a good sign.  
Mark shuffles his way toward the other, trying as smoothly as he can to snake his hand into Hunter’s as a comforting gesture. However, his action doesn’t go unnoticed, as Jaemin’s beady eyes zoom into the action, and he dramatically gaggs, resting his head on Jeno’s shoulder.

“Eww Mark, stop being so greasy!”

Chaos breaks out once again, and Hunter looks both utterly befuddled by the quick turns of events but also a bit mirthful. He turns to Mark while the noise around them continues.

“Is this what I signed up for when I asked you to bring your friends?”

Mark nods bashfully, grinning with his teeth.

“Yeah, sorry about that. They’re definitely youthful, so it won’t be a problem fitting into Neverland.”

Hunter lets out his twinkling smile, and Mark’s heart almost bursts from how happy he feels. If this is how he’s going to live for the rest of his life, he’s so ready for this. Squeezing the other’s hand and giving him a fond smile, Mark thinks, “Now is a good time for a cliché kiss,” and promptly freezes up because of that exact thought. 

Wait, is he going too fast? What’s he supposed to do? Are the norms the same for fairies as humans? Does he have to court him? What-

Hunter (being the actually functioning fairy that he is) can tell that Mark has gone stiff in his arms, and quickly turns toward the other with a look of concern.

“Mark? Are you there?”

Waving his hand in front of the other spaced-out boy, Hunter finally realizes what caused Mark to look so caught up in his mind. Chuckling a bit to himself, the ash-eyed quickly closed the gap before he could second-guess himself, quickly pressing a peck to the human’s lips before pulling away and plunging his face into his hands.

Mark reacts exactly as one would expect, which is by malfunctioning. His eyes widen almost comically, and it’s almost as if he becomes the living embodiment of a tomato, sputtering and struck speechless. 

“I- what- you-”

“I kissed you. And,,, I would like it if you kissed me too.” 

Hunter repeats, now equally flustered as the other. You could probably hear a pin drop as the two bashful boys decide to clearly not look at one another, yet slowly inching closer to one another while trying to hide their actions from the other.

However, Mark does hold the nickname Lionheart, given to him by Donghyuck back in first grade, and if little pissy Mark was able to man up back then, then he certainly can do the same now. Clearing his throat a bit too loudly, Mark nods jerkily, and brings a hand up to Hunter’s face, cupping his cheek gently. He tries to convey all his feelings and nervous energy into his gaze, fixing the other with what can only be called the Mark Stare™. 

Smiling so that Hunter knows that Mark is just as confused and new to this as he is, the dark-haired male slowly leans in, whispering as he leans in,

“I would too. Show me your world, and let’s get lost in it together.”

They seal the deal with a few extra kisses.  
Okay, maybe not just a few! But, that’s not important.

**Author's Note:**

> tysm for reading !! if you made it this far, i'm sorry you've had to brave my writing. hunter i hope you don't mind that i twisted your idea a tad bit 👉👈 but mark is still here and that's what matters hehe :D — i hope you enjoyed bub!!
> 
> ✧･ﾟ:* (ꈍ ꒳ ꈍ✿)*:･ﾟ✧*
> 
> extra scenes i was too lazy to write but you can imagine:
> 
> \- learning how to fly (everyone except mark is a natural, and hunter laughs at him for a bit but then helps him up and they soar thru the sky hand in hand)  
> \- they visit the mermaids and mark gets jealous of how they look at hunter (possessive bapy)  
> \- long compliment wars on the beach late at night when everyone else is asleep  
> \- mark taming one of captain hook's crocs and hunter being in awe


End file.
